Picking Up Chicks for Dummies
by PastaUnit01
Summary: Fox McCloud, the love expert, encourages his new teammate Sky to look for love, as he is taught to have confidence. However, under Fox's guidance, the one that Sky found causes things to take a turn for the more difficult. Finding his predicament harder than he anticipated, he is determined to continue seeking Fox's advice in order to perhaps catch a glimpse of what love is like...
1. Prologue

_A/N: Now that I've poked around a few different genres, I decided I would start a romance fic._

_Just a minute... Before you all have heart attacks, I just wanted to say a few things. Primarily, this plot comes chronologically after the ending to my other story, "A Destiny Entwined," and reading just a little bit of that beforehand will help you understand a lot of the details here. I'm not doing any shameless self-promoting, I'm only telling you how this story can be interpreted less confusingly. Therefore, if you don't want to read my other fic, then feel free to screw it because I ain't the boss of any of you wonderful fiction-goers._

_But I digress. The second thing I want to mention is that this may or may not stay up on the board... If it turns out to be as bad as I anticipate, I'll throw this project in the garbage and just stick to adventure or creepypastas. It even has the dreaded, disgusting, horribly cliche Fox/Krystal pairing in it! DUH... DUH... DUUUU- but that's only mentioned a few times. There's a more important ship that occurs later in the story, so stay patient. Then perhaps the content of this crappy, gooey love story can be more enjoyable. Also, keep in mind that it's only the intro. This is important._

_Ugh, I talk too much... So yeah, leave a review if this is too ridiculous to even finish reading... or if you would like to give tips and other useful hints to help me improve my writing. Yeah, that'd be nice._

_Enjoy reading!~_

* * *

**PICKING UP CHICKS**

_**for**__**Dummies**_

Written by |:PastaUnit:|

What a nice summer day it was… No, to say that would be an understatement.

A smooth, lustrous texture of blue painted its way across the atmosphere without a hint of any cottony cloud to obscure the morning sun, which smiled its way down upon the peaceful landscapes of Corneria in gentle rays of gold and orange light. They were portrayed and mirrored beautifully by the ocean, which displayed tens of thousands of sea-green diamonds that swayed gently to the rhythm of the zephyrs that coasted slowly across the water's surface. The slow-moving currents gradually made their way towards a glistening, sandy shoreline and lapped onto its soft surface in tiny waves. In return, the playful splashes of foam produced a tranquil, lulling ambience that filled the air and accompanied the beautiful setting.

Farther up the shoreline and across a small pasture of tall green vegetation, there stood a quiet line of colorful houses and huts, among them a small, multi-apartment structure. It boasted only two stories, but the wall that faced the ocean consisted entirely of glass. Every room on that side of the building shared the wondrous, incredible view of the seemingly endless shoreline. The summerhouse's interior was a tad simplified, but still neatly kept and clean, and it contained bedrooms, bathrooms, kitchens, a living space, and a small fenced deck at the top of the building. It was perfectly fitting for a lengthened vacation for a small group or family, and its relative location was away from the urban hubbub of Corneria City. It seemed to be one of Mother Nature's most placid relaxation sites.

It was here that a familiar team of mercenaries resided temporarily as a reward for their hard work to rid the last few traces of black matter that existed throughout the Lylat. After successfully completing a long and arduous list of errands issued by General Peppy, the Star Fox team was left to relax on their own for a short while as the galaxy was deemed safe from any other threat that could throw the system into another frightening apocalypse.

There couldn't have been a better time to finally hang loose.

Inside one of the bedrooms, where the only pieces of furniture in place were a wardrobe, a mattress, and a desk with a lamp hanging over it, the door swung open as Fox McCloud tiredly dragged the last of his luggage through the threshold, hurled it beside the bed, and sprawled out onto the covers and pillows stomach-first with his arms and legs hanging out over the edges, all while expelling a loud and exhausted sigh. He was dressed in a sleeveless tank, a pair of jean shorts, and a pair of flip flops… After having to sport his signature outfit for weeks on end, he was glad to finally be able to dress casually. Removing his aviators that he had been wearing during the long journey to the house, Fox smiled to himself as he closed his eyes and stretched out while alone with his thoughts. Finally, his team was done getting everything out of their vehicles… Falco, Krystal, and his new teammate Sky, whom he had lost track of right when they arrived at their destination. Perhaps he was somewhere on the beach, already enjoying himself, perhaps even meditating.

_He's not much of an extrovert… Not only does he blend in with a crowd without being noticed, but he always seems to be by himself. Obviously there's no need worry about him, but I do it anyway sometimes._

The vulpine paused and thought about the lynx for a moment. He knew, despite how much Sky seemed to be secluded, that if you sat down and had a discussion with him he could continue talking for however long his conversational partner wanted to. His optimistic personality was a great addition to the team. Fox only wished he could have a more outward personality…

Suddenly, the vulpine's thoughts were interrupted as a warm yet cheerful whisper serenaded into his ears from right outside the open doorway. Fox perked his ears up, identifying the voice as female; it was soft, playful, and a bit sexy as well.

"Fooooxy~"

He turned over on his backside and looked over at the door, craning his neck a bit as he smirked and replied almost as softly as the whisper, leaning his upper body forward and resting his elbows on the mattress.

"How'd you find me here, Krys?"

A beautiful vixen stepped out and revealed herself. Her fur was a silky smooth, light purple shade, and she was dressed in a cute pink summer blouse, which was much different than what Fox was used to seeing her wear (i.e. her dark bodysuit and tribal clothing), but she looked quite… adorable. She rested her arm against the door frame, gave a cute giggle and batted her eyes at the spellbound vulpine.

"That's a no-brainer, silly! I detected your thought patterns from the outside, hee-hee~"

Krystal was without a doubt one of the most incredible, gorgeous girls that Fox had ever fallen in love with. Her dazzling aquamarine eyes could instantly lure any man into a deep, lustful trance, and her attractive, slim and curvy figure enhanced that effect immensely. The glistening shine from her amazing smile could have rivaled the light radiating from the Solar. Now, this wonderful goddess stood before Fox, putting on another one of her flirtatious acts just to see him turn red-faced and stutter shyly like he always did when she made any sort of tease.

Fox, however, felt a fluttering warmness soar through his body that was too potent for him to be conscious of his bashfulness. He found himself asking how he could possibly have ended up with such an amazing girl, and he considered himself one of the luckiest men alive.

"Fox, I consider myself to be luckier. I've found so much happiness in my life by simply being your teammate."

The vulpine perked his ears up in surprise, then shook his head and turned his attention back to Krystal after she read his thoughts, giving a pleasant chuckle and throwing his legs over the edge of the bed. He sat up straight and folded his hands in his lap in a relaxed fashion.

"Heh… I just find it a bit hard to believe. I know I'm the team leader, but that doesn't make me more special than my friends. Even though I'm just an average Joe, I've never had more joy anywhere else in my life than where I am right now."

As Fox was giving his response, the vixen slowly made her way towards him, swaying her hips just a tad in a playfully teasing manner as she spoke in an even softer tone.

"Might I remind you how many times you've saved your teammates' lives, mine especially, by putting yourself fearlessly in the face of danger? An 'average Joe' would never be capable of doing that. You should know, you really are special."

That triggered it. Fox's face flushed red under his fur, and he scratched the back of his neck while laughing gently and looking down at the floor a little.

"Aww, Krys…" He responded while stuttering, "I-I just didn't want anyone getting hurt, y'know?"

"Exactly," the vixen sat down next to him and put a hand on his shoulder, "and even though you might not value yourself as much as you should, I do. It only makes me admire you more. Sure you might have had some slip-ups, but you easily matured and made up for them. I can't think of somebody I'd rather be with than you."

After a few-second pause, on impulse Fox wrapped an arm gently around Krystal's shoulder and smiled wider, feeling more warmth pass through his body. In return, she laid her head on his shoulder and scooted closer so that their sides pressed against one another.

"Thank you, honey," Fox spoke in a warmer tone, "it means a lot to me that you would think of me like that."

"You're always welcome." Krystal sighed dreamily and closed her eyes, keeping herself still while her chest rose and fell slowly, "Also, don't forget why we're here~"

"Heh, I was just thinking of that. The beach looks incredible, the weather couldn't be any more perfect, and there's nothing else that we could possible worry about."

The vixen smiled and looked up at Fox once more with sparkling eyes and whispered excitedly, "I know! Isn't it fantastic? I'm greatly looking forward to this!"

Fox unknowingly had his muzzle inches from Krystal's. They were both locked in each other's gaze for almost a minute until another voice rose from outside of the room, one belonging to a very annoyed Falco Lombardi.

"Yo, Fox! Wanna help me look for Mr. Galaxy-trotter? I can't find his white furry ass anywhere!"

The vulpine and vixen lowered their heads and simultaneously exhaled as they both stood up. Fox stretched around a bit while Krystal perked up momentarily, making her way towards the door and exiting while calling out behind her and waving.

"I almost forgot! There was something I needed to retrieve from the vehicle. I'll be back in a minute."

Fox waited until Krystal left before he rolled his eyes at the avian's request, telling himself that Sky would show up soon enough, and strode over to the door to close it while whistling nonchalantly.

As he closed it, however, there was something behind the door that startled him so much he nearly jumped out of his flip-flops. He had to suppress himself from letting out a yelp as he stepped back and folded his ears back once he recognized with shrunken pupils the silhouette that sat crisscrossed right next to the door frame seemingly in a meditation position. Sky Felis appeared out of nowhere in the place that Fox least expected, as usual, wearing his signature tranquil facial expression as though nothing were wrong at all.

"Wh-What the…!" The surprised vulpine exclaimed, "Sky, how long were you there?!"

The white lynx twitched his ears and turned his head towards his leader, blinking his eyes in confusion while letting out a "Hm?", then he smiled pleasantly and returned Fox's stare with his bright set of topaz pupils, seemingly unaware of the situation at hand.

"Ah, hello there, Fox. I was here before you came in the door."

The vulpine made a hand gesture as though he were saying "what the hell" as he furrowed his brows and attempted to calm his voice down.

"The walls in this place are too white… No wonder I couldn't see you. Were you watching us?"

The lynx turned his position more towards Fox and allowed the sunlight to shine off his brilliant, snowy fur. Sky's thin yet bushy tail swayed back and forth very slowly while he rested his palmed on his knees. He was also casually dressed, wearing a white T-shirt and a pair of khaki shorts and the same brand of flip-flops that Fox had. As he shook his head in response to the vulpine's question, his long lavender locks of hair that dropped from the top of his head almost to his shoulders swayed and fell almost gracefully, and his tufted ears twitched once more.

"I was watching, but I was not paying attention."

"Then why didn't you say anything?!"

"I did not want to disturb your interaction. I apologize if I was invading your privacy, but I can assure you that my mind was elsewhere." The lynx's peaceful smile did not fade. Fox tried to stay annoyed, but he just couldn't be angry with his placid teammate. Instead, he sat back down on the edge of the bed once more, and Sky stood up to lean against the wall in his same relaxed manner.

Falco's voice echoed through the house again, "I'm assuming by that girly squeal he popped up out of nowhere and scared you?"

Fox laughed again and crossed his arms, exclaiming loud enough so that the avian could hear his response, "If you were in here, you'd be flappin' your feathery ass out the window in a heartbeat."

"Screw you!"

After a moment of laughter, the two males just sat in silence for a few minutes. One was waiting for Krystal, but apparently she was still out looking for whatever she went to retrieve in the first place. The other was just finding a spot to practice relaxation techniques. Sky and Fox just soaked in the sunlight as it flooded in through the window, and the muffled sounds of the rolling waves soothed them both and complemented the calm setting.

Fox decided, as he tried to keep from nodding off, to start up another conversation.

"So uh, Sky…"

"Yes, sir?"

"Have y- wait, don't be so formal. Just call me whatever you'd like."

"Sorry, Fox."

"Right, so um… I was just curious about something."

"What might that be?"

Fox hesitated before continuing, "Could you… maybe… describe Princess Zephyra for me again?"

Sky tilted his head slightly, "What about her?"

"Like… What happened between you two?"

"Does this relate to what just occurred in here between you and Krystal?"

Fox turned a bit pink, "N-No, it doesn't. I kinda just… wanted to see if perhaps you could name a few more details or just some related memories."

"Everything I've already told you about what happened between us in the Wind Kingdom, you already know."

"Right, right…" The vulpine thought for a moment again, then continued. "I guess that leads me to another question… What does love mean to you?"

"I'm… I'm sorry, could you clarify?"

"Like… to love. Have you ever wanted to be together with someone? Or maybe see the Princess again?"

"Surely you would know that I would practically sacrifice myself to return to Celestia or Div Sablast… And yes, I wish I could see Her Majesty again, but the subject of love doesn't hold as much importance to me as it might to you or others."

"So… I take it that… it hasn't crossed your mind much."

"Correct."

"Hm… so what if you did give it some thought?"

"Eh?" Sky raised an eyebrow.

"I'm saying, what if there was some nice girl you passed by who wanted your digits?"

"My what?"

"Oh wait, you don't have a phone… Forget what I just said. But what if there were girls interested in you?"

"I would… definitely be flattered, but…" Sky blinked his eyes at the ground in contemplation, "I don't know if I would immediately want to accept her proposal."

"Whoa, man, don't think of it like that," Fox waved his hand a bit and chuckled. "It's a way of saying 'Hi, I'd like to get to know you a little, so here's a way of keeping in touch with me if you ever want to,' you know what I mean? Like… flirting?"

The befuddled lynx could only understand the last word in Fox's explanation, "Oh yes, I can… see what you mean, partially. Flirting is when a male or female acts in a certain manner to draw attention from a specific person, is that correct?"

"Yup, pretty much," the vulpine confirmed. "More commonly, there's a lot of deliberately cute acting going on where the flirter flaunts his or her best characteristics and makes them appealing to whoever they're trying to get the attention of. Some examples of flirtatious gestures are, say… giving open contact information privately, dishing out a boatload of flattering compliments, 'accidental' body touches, maybe pulling one or two light jokes or pranks just to mess around or have fun, making some teasing references to things like physical or sexual interaction, or just directly confronting him or her and pulling a variety of romantic and cheesy lovey-dovey stunts so that they don't have a choice but to look in the flirter's direction."

Sky pushed off from the wall he was leaning against and now stood up straight, listening intently to Fox's explanations and trying to make the best sense of them. The lynx knew that a relationship wasn't at the top of his priority list, and he had never before witnessed any of the bizarre occurrences Fox had just mentioned, but he could perhaps take his leader's advice and consider being romantically involved with a girl. Seeing that Sky was thoroughly intrigued, the vulpine decided to add another detail to the mix.

"I know from what you described in the story of the Wind Kingdom that the Princess had to at least have flirted with you in some way."

"W… What?" Sky seemed taken aback slightly, but surprisingly instead of taking offense, he asked rather naively, "Y-You mean that Princess Zephyra would do such things as flaunt herself like that to get my attention?"

"Hang on a sec, I said those were common here. It doesn't necessarily mean that those gestures are the same in every other planet or galaxy. If I could take another guess, I'd say that whatever kind of flirting she did must have been extremely subtle compared to what would have went down in a place like this."

"I never suspected her of being remotely flirtatious…"

"Bingo," Fox chimed and grinned. "She was able to lessen the gap between you two just gradually, over the long years you spent at that place, until at last she deepened the bond and sealed the deal in just one move."

"But… what would the reason for that be?"

"When you first arrived at the Kingdom, the Princess saw something in you that stood out from the rest. She was able to distinguish, exactly as you told me in your story, 'a speck of dust among titans.' As a result, she only wanted to get closer to you somehow, and out of all the outcomes that could have followed, the fondness you two shared with each other was what made her want to be more than just your friend."

Sky only stared in awe at Fox as he gave a legitimate breakdown of his relationship with Princess Zephyra that happened long ago and became nothing but a mysterious memory. The lynx didn't have a full understanding of everything that transpired, but he caught enough of the gist to realize how oblivious he had been towards his apparent first love. He sighed and looked down at the ground with a slight sense of disappointment, but then he nodded once and looked back up at the vulpine, sunlight illuminating his topaz pupils as it continued to flood in through the window.

"Thank you for that clarification, Fox."

"Yeah, not a problem. I think I might have gotten a bit carried away, but let's get back to the original question-"

"W-Wait a moment," Sky interrupted and bashfully rubbed his shoulder, "I'm not sure I can give it a shot…"

"Aww, c'mon!" The vulpine laughed and held out both of his palms to the side to reason, "You want my honest opinion? I think you could be with just about any girl on this planet! You're polite, kind, loyal, and selfless, you're pretty cool and handsome with that snow-white fur along with your eyes and your hair, and you have one hell of an attractive, toned, and defined body that would leave the ladies gawking. Your style and personality puts the cherry on top!"

With this, Sky chuckled nervously and turned a bit red under the fur on his face, but he swallowed and asked once more for confirmation, "Are you positive?"

"Absolutely!" The vulpine nodded his head quickly, "You're more than capable!"

"Thank you, Fox. It means a lot, and I hope I don't throw those flattering words away and disappoint you."

"Sky, there's no need to worry about failing! Just go out a- hold up, you're saying you'll try?"

"Heh… er, um, yes! I'm willing to try!"

Fox displayed a thrilled grin on his face as he stood up from the bed's edge and exclaimed excitedly, "Alright, that's awesome! Glad you finally found your confidence!"

The lynx nodded in return and responded shortly after his leader's moment of happiness calmed down slightly, "But I shall need one favor."

"Anything for you, bud, what's up?"

"There is no doubt that I shall need your help to keep my spirits up. Could you… continue to give me advice?"

Fox crossed his arms and kept his grin, then he held out a thumbs-up and said, "You got it! Dr. McCloud, at your service!"

Just then, Krystal opened Fox's door and poked her head in to see what the commotion was. She looked at both Fox and Sky as they returned her gaze in silence with blinking eyes. The vixen asked with a cute giggle.

"What are you boys discussing in here?"

"It's nothing, honey! How's unpacking been?" Fox replied quickly.

"Oh, it's a work in progress, but I believe I'm just about done. Actually, I was going to head down to the shoreline shortly after, in case you wish to tag along~"

Fox's eyes widened at the thought of seeing Krystal's perfect swimsuit figure openly lying out in the sand under the colors of the Cornerian sunset, then he opened his mouth to accept her invitation when she cut him short.

"Just get ready and stop visualizing me naked if you want to go, Foxy. Hee-hee!" She laughed cutely once again as she exited the room and began walking down the hall to her room to finish unpacking. Fox was left red-faced with embarrassment as he scratched his head and sighed, shaking his head yet still smiling before he finally looked back up to Sky with his hands on his hips.

"Right, so as I was saying, I'm gonna be your wingman! Any questions, Sky?"

"Yes, um… When can we get started?"

* * *

_So there you have it. I leave it in your hands to decide the fate of this teetering fic... Well, not entirely. Still, just tell me your thoughts about what's going on so far if you want to, give me some criticism, suggest a few elements I can add to make this more solid, or just do nothing. All of the above are acceptable. Anyways, thank you all very much for reading and I hope you enjoyed!_

_I'll be updating "A Destiny Entwined" pretty soon, so be on the lookout._


	2. First Impressions

_A/N: I have to admit. This one took a __**lot**__ of work and was very time consuming to polish up, but I believe this to be one of my better chapters. Of course it's longer than the previous one because the first thing I published was an introduction._

_Lemme reemphasize that... It was an __introduction__. I planned the real beginning here at Chapter 1, with a few important character descriptions included, even though I probably should have put at least a little bit of that in the intro for all you confused readers out there... I hope that now a little bit of that can be cleared up since the fact that I assumed you would reference "A Destiny Entwined" did NOT work at all. I apologize for that._

_Anywho, check this out and see if it hooks you in more. That's all I can say for now, so leave a comment at the end if you feel like it. Enjoy!_

/ / Chapter **1** / /

**_First Impressions_**

|: - § - :|

* * *

Blasts of wind roared through the open air and swirled within the interior of the convertible car that was being driven with its top down while doing about 60mph on an empty, sunny beachside highway. More specifically, the vehicle was a rather rusty vintage model corvette that had been refurbished from who knows where, yet its coat still boasted a glimmering white color and was trimmed with polished chrome strips around the edges of its curved body. Its V8 engine rumbled and roared underneath the hood with a tone that blended in unusually nicely with the loudly whistling gusty atmosphere. The corvette sped across an asphalt pathway over a sandy expanse labeled with a few patches of green brush here and there. Not a cloud was showing in the sky, and the bright orange afternoon sun illuminated the emerald shoreline as it playfully splashed about and swayed gently only a short distance away from the road.

Lounging lazily in the sport car's worn leather upholstery without any seatbelt fastened was the mischievous male trio that consisted of Fox at the wheel, Falco riding shotgun, and Sky at the back row. All three of them wore swim trunks and flip-flops, but each sported a sleeveless tank with a unique summer-themed pattern or brand emblem. The auburn-furred vulpine was belting out oldies music almost at the top of his lungs as he adjusted his pair of aviators over his eyes with one hand while keeping the other gripped on the steering wheel. Falco hung one of his wings over the edge of the door, enjoying the breeze as it flowed through and lifted underneath his shiny azure plumage. He tapped the door in rhythm to the upbeat song being projected at high volume through the corvette's speakers from its CD player. The last of the trio, however, was shifting around uncomfortably as he tried to adjust to riding in such a piece of technology capable of traveling across the ground at high velocity. Sky kept his nervousness well hidden, but on the inside he desperately wished that his leader would ease off the accelerator so that the tense lynx wouldn't be hurled around in the back seat so much.

Just as the speedometer hit 65, Fox engaged in the first verse of another oldie while leaning his head back and relaxing behind the wheel.

_ "__Sailin' away on the crest of a wave, it's like magic_

_Oh, rollin' and ridin' and slippin' and slidin', it's magic" _

Sky perked his ears up and tried to make out the positive melody to the unfamiliar music that Fox was playing. The instrumentation was very interesting… The lynx took note of the song's percussion as it was straightforward and powerful, even if it was kept at the same tempo throughout the whole progression, and the high-pitched harmonized vocals blended in brilliantly with the complex arrangement of stringed instruments and synthesized sounds. It was an ingenious work of art, and it was the only thing capable of drawing Sky's attention away from his inner turmoil in order for him to keep sane.

_ "__And yooouuuu, and your sweet desire_

_You took meeeeee, oh, higher and higher, baby" _

Even though the corvette's engine and the blowing drafts were noisy enough to drown out any other sound, Sky could easily distinguish the music, as well as Fox's off-key singing voice, which thankfully didn't ring out too loudly over the beautiful soundtrack. Right then, the verse changed into a booming, energized chorus that was filled with an even bigger orchestra of vocals and strings.

_ "__It's a livin' thing, it's a terrible thing to lose_

_It's a givin' thing, what a terrible thing to lose_

_And I'm takin' a dive" _

At that moment, Falco turned his head and got Fox's attention by bellowing out over the roar of the engine, "Who is this again? I didn't read the album cover."

Fox responded at the same volume, leaning his head over and taking his eyesight off the road for a split second, "Electric Light Orchestra. I found it at some garage sale, and apparently this CD is really ancient. Still pretty awesome, if you ask me."

"Straight up. Know any others off the same CD?"

With the flip of a knob, Fox changed the soundtrack to something completely different. The lyrics were much easier to distinguish, and the song had a more complex progression at a faster tempo. He smirked and turned his head back around to Falco, "How about 'The Diary of Horace Wimp'?"

"Oh, yeah… Not my favorite, but whatever. I like the beat, just needs different lyrics, y'know?"

"Nah, they're just fine. Let's just see what Gray Sky thinks," Fox chimed pleasantly as Sky sat up in response to hearing his nickname being called. And so, he found himself entranced again… The singer's voice seemed to be projecting in many different angles to the intrigued lynx, but he quickly found the rhythm to the song and tapped his foot on the floor mat in time with the quiet piano chords in the background.

[Monday]

_ "__Late again today, he'd be in trouble_

_Though he'd say he was sorry_

_He'd have to hurry out, to the bus" _

The lyrics to each verse included passing from day to day and hearing about building occurrences that keep happening to a peculiar man named Horace. It was an interesting story, and of course it was completely unique and had a feel to it that sent positive vibes through Sky's brain. In return, his tail swayed in satisfaction while his head nodded up and down slightly.

[Tuesday]

_ "__Horace was so sad,_

_He'd never had a girl that he could care for_

_If he was late once more,_

_He'd be out, uh-oh" _

That caused Sky to stop. He blinked his eyes open and thought to himself for a moment, pondering the concept of romance and how powerful of an effect it seemed to have on so many different people, as Fox had mentioned. He was given the impression that love was a potent, overpowering force that influenced the mind to act upon instincts guided from deep down within the heart. Sky listened to the story of Horace as it progressed into the chorus and the other verses.

_ "__Don't be afraid,_

_Just knock on the door_

_But he just stood there mumblin'-a-fumblin',_

_'__Till a voice from above,_

_Said_

**_Horace Wimp, this is your life!_**

**_Go out and find yourself a wife! _**_(You can do it!)_

**_Take a stand, be a man!_**

**_And you will have a great life plan! _**_(Come on Horace!)" _

Sky came to the conclusion that Horace had become lonely from not having a "love," but his instincts told him to have courage and be confident in order for him to meet the girl of his dreams. As a result, once he mustered up the strength to interact with her, his story became much happier, and at that point Sky was not only nodding his head again, but he was also smiling contently and tapping his hands on his seat. Falco looked behind him and chuckled a little, then got Fox's attention as they both observed their engrossed teammate with amusement. When they started to laugh, however, their moment was interrupted abruptly when a loud, blaring horn caused the avian and vulpine to jump in their seats and snap their attention back to the road, where they had unknowingly swerved almost a foot over the double yellow line and collided with another car moving in the opposite direction. Fox jerked back on course and leaned his head out to look at the other car through his side mirror. The driver had thrown his or her arm up and flicked them off while cursing profanely… Fox was thankful he couldn't understand all of it.

Falco shook his head around and sat normally in the passenger seat again, leaning over towards Fox and shrugging, "I think he said 'up yours' or somethin' like that."

The dazed vulpine tried to refocus while slowing down and coughing a bit, "There was a lot more that came with it… Hah! Look back there!" They both took a quick glance towards the back seat to find Sky still nodding and bobbing with his eyes closed, humming obliviously as though nothing had happened. The music continued in the meantime.

[Wednesday]

_ "__Horace met a girl,_

_She was small and she was veeeery pretty_

_He thought he was in love,_

_He was afraid, uh-oh" _

To be in love… What did that mean? And was being afraid a part of that? From where would that fear originate? As Sky continued to ask himself questions, he was completely unaware of the ridiculous faces that Falco was making at him while leaning over the headrest of his seat, and Fox had to keep from having a hysterical outburst from behind the wheel. The two almost lost it simultaneously when Falco began dramatically licking one of the feathers at the tip of his wing in a seductive manner.

[Thursday]

_ "__Asked her for a date,_

_The café down the street tomorrow evening_

_His mind was reeling,_

_And she said yes (okay)" _

Sky heard about dates before. They happened all over the place, as Fox had also told him before. It was one method that two potential partners used to get to know each other better… but he would have to get more details about that later, though, as he realized how complicated his contemplations about love were becoming. Realizing that he hadn't been paying any attention to what was going on around him, the lynx looked around the corvette's interior and saw Falco in front as he began to make another face, but he stopped immediately and snapped back around once the two made eye contact for a split second. Sky scratched his head and wondered what sort of shenanigan that was, but decided to disregard it.

"So do you know where we're headed off to?" Fox spoke up suddenly, turning down the volume of the music as he turned his head to glance at Sky from the corner of his eye.

"I haven't the slightest of clues," the befuddled lynx responded.

"We're headed to a more popular beach that's closer to the city. There's gonna be a lot of people there, girls in particular, and by the time I'm done teaching you how, you'll have flocks of them following you all over the place."

It had been two days since the Star Fox team pulled into their summer home for vacation. The transition that needed to be made for this kind of event was nowhere nearly as difficult as the one Sky was forced to make when he was first transported to the Lylat for his own safety. Getting used to a highly advanced society that was ruled by technology was definitely a challenge, but it was better for him than staying within the vicinity of a place as dangerous as Sky's former home galaxy. With everything new that was taught to him in the Lylat, it was gradually getting easier to cope with being the last of his own race and sew his war wounds back to normal after every tragedy reminding him of his devastating past life had previously torn holes through his heart and mind during the Lylatian black matter crisis just weeks earlier. For that, Sky couldn't have been more grateful to be a part of the Star Fox squad. His teammates made him feel right at home in Corneria and very slowly helped him to rebuild and thus acquire his former personality; he was a bright and creative mind, extremely curious and always questioning all which he took in from his surroundings.

Even though he knew some of the things which Fox and Falco taught him were highly peculiar at times, it presented no reason for the quiet lynx not to branch out of his primitive, secluded persona and try to fit the mold in order for him to not be seen as a disoriented foreigner. However, even with his plethora of knowledge, his extensive knowhow on survival, and his instinctive curiosity, he couldn't understand the concept of love as well as he wanted to. Truthfully, it only complicated things the more that Fox attempted to explain to him. From the very beginning, he was trying to mend himself and survive as well as help to save the Lylat from being frayed gruesomely by another deadly invasion… Now, as of the current moment, his valiant leader was teaching him how to be attractive and flirt with females. It was indeed strange, even though Sky promised that he would give it a try, but as the trio neared their destination, he found himself getting butterflies. For once, he couldn't predict any sort of outcome from this situation.

"How the hell are you gonna do that, bro?" Falco inquired with an amused chuckle. "The whole team- no, pretty much all of Corneria knows how stale your pick-up lines are."

"Psh, I don't use those anyway. How do you think I got Krystal?" Fox retorted with a slight smirk.

"You didn't really 'get' her, dude, y'all just ended up together 'cause of your own stroke of luck," Falco shot back. "Besides, I don't think any of us have forgotten about what happened on Sauria between you and Krys during the Aparoids… or basically the whole rest of the time she was a part of the crew."

Sky leaned forward a bit and joined in the conversation, "And um… What happened on Sauria?"

_Damn it, not again…_ Fox thought to himself as he exhaled sharply and facepalmed.

"Hoooly shit, you should have been there!" The excited avian leaned over his seat again and pointed a feather in Fox's direction while trying to keep from laughing. "She put him on the spot, and he started panicking and looking around like he'd seen ghosts or something! He turned red as an apple and stuttered more than a two-year-old, fuck that was hilarious!"

In response, Fox's foot pressed down on the accelerator unknowingly out of annoyance and upped the vehicle's speed by another five miles per hour. Sky could only let out a slight chuckle from the way in which Falco was carrying on, laughing and tossing in his seat. Fox gave the avian a punch on the side of his arm and started laughing along with him.

"Oh yeah? Well I don't really see your phone ringing that much, and your inbox is about as dry as your relationship status has always been!"

Falco crossed his arms and rolled his eyes, "You haven't even seen my phone, stupid! Oh, and I got a date with Katt later on this weekend. Suck it!"

"Pfft, you lie. You mean a date with your right hand, right? You're the one who's been telling me you 'only fly solo.' Anyone can tell Katt isn't as impressed with you as you wanna believe."

"Oh-ho, you just went there, did ya?" Falco grunted, but he kept calm and scoffed once more. "Whatever. Go ahead and try, hotshot. He won't get far."

"He'll be game. It'll be better than what you can teach him."

"Wanna put some money on tha-"

"Fox, look out! Car!" Falco was about to snap back but was interrupted by Sky as the startled lynx exclaimed and pointed ahead, making Fox almost slam on the brakes. They came to a jarring stop with the corvette's front end about a few inches away from the rear bumper of another car that sat stationary behind a stop light. The narrow beach highway had finally come to an end, and the street split into two lanes on either side with buildings and sidewalks surrounding it. Corneria City bustled with commotion under the blazing afternoon sun, and as Fox and the others sighed with relief, they looked up at the towering edifices and realized that they were close to their destination.

"Sweet, we're just about there." Fox adjusted his aviators again and fell in line with the rest of the cars around him through a series of stop lights and four-way intersections. Falco only slumped down in his seat and yawned while awaiting the trio's arrival. Meanwhile, Sky gazed all around him and smiled as he recognized the city district in which he had traveled with his team countless times, even if he hadn't been in the Lylat for very long. Although he had never visited its more leisurely locations, like its beaches or its recreational parks, he was quite familiar with its layout and could even give directions anywhere within its radius to a passerby if needed. The skyscrapers and neon attractions thrilled him to no end, as well as the mixture of hover cars and ground vehicles zooming by in clumps through each block and around every corner. After a minute of sightseeing and stop-and-go traffic, they pulled into a gravel parking lot next to a boardwalk which led straight to the shoreline.

"Okay, gentlemen, you know the drill. Roll out and let's get started." Fox pulled the key out of the ignition slot as the three gathered their belongings and exited the corvette, standing up and stretching out for a little after being cramped in the rumbling vehicle's interior for a little over half an hour. Its engine sputtered and coughed to a slow stop in the meantime. Ahead of the three was a forest of multicolored beach umbrellas that slightly obscured the brilliant, emerald shoreline. The sound of crashing waves and laughing children filled the air and contributed to a much more soothing landscape compared to having vibrating eardrums after listening to the roar of a vintage corvette engine for so long. The sand was booming with activity; a good majority of the people present were seen relaxing on beach towels while soaking in sunlight, and the other half cavorted through the waves in hordes, laughing and enjoying the ice cold Cornerian waters.

The trio had somehow managed to claim a spot amongst the commotion and spread out a few beach towels to set their things down on. After unfolding a large umbrella and setting it up, Fox took in a deep breath of salty ocean air and exhaled while smiling and placing his hands on his hips, standing up and walking out into the open. He glanced over his shoulder at Falco, who was already sprawled out on one of the towels in the shade and trying to take a nap, and Sky, who knelt on one knee not too far away from the tired avian and tried to organize their belongings as they had previously been tossed carelessly and scattered all over the sand. The vulpine chimed with excitement and got the attention of them both.

"Look alive, fellas, it's showtime!"

…

The afternoon sun changed rather quickly to a near sunset, but its rays still gleamed upon the white sand and the blue-green waters. The shoreline had cleared out a little, and the sand was much more crowded as a result, but the landscape died down into something much more tranquil and relaxing. Instead of playing in the waters, there were many people that took walks along the shallow edges of the rolling waves. The rest continued to nap among the umbrellas or play beach sports such as Frisbee and football.

Underneath one umbrella in particular, Fox was attempting to pull up Sky by the wrist as he was stubbornly sitting cross-legged on the towel with his sleeveless tank still being worn. Fox and Falco had taken theirs off long before to roam about the shoreline in only their swimming trunks and take in the sunlight while staying on the lookout for girls… It _was_ partially for their own cause, but they knew that Sky's task was their momentary priority. And they didn't look bad without shirts either; both the avian and the vulpine boasted toned upper bodies that they had earned and steadily defined over many years from their mercenary endeavors. Sure, they might not have had many face-to-face confrontations, but they received plenty of lustful glances from quite a lot of passersby.

"Come on, dude! Just come with us, it's a lot easier than you think!" Fox frowned in annoyance as the nervous lynx remained static in the shade of the umbrella like a scared hermit crab no matter how persistently the vulpine tried to make him stand up. Sky only averted his gaze and scratched the back of his neck with his other hand.

"I don't think you under-"

"Of course I do. You've got a few jitters and you've never done this kind of thing before. Well, now's the time to give it a try!" Fox tugged a bit harder than before.

"B-But Fox, I don't even remotely know what happens during a date-"

"You said you'd give it a try, and I said I would help you. This isn't the same thing as the Wind Kingdom where it takes years for you and another girl to even share a damn peck on the lips. All it takes is just a little bit of confidence, and you'll like it, I swear!"

Reluctantly, as he didn't want his leader to become irate, Sky took a deep breath and tried to expel his butterflies as best he could in order to stand up. "Alright… I give."

Fox finally sighed in relief as Sky got out of his shell at last. He slid off his shirt quickly and stepped out into the sun, letting the light reflect even more brightly off of his fur. Fox flinched a little and had to adjust his eyesight for a moment before he noticed that the white lynx didn't look too bad himself. Of course, Fox's physique was still a bit greater, but Sky was clearly above average, quite lean from surviving in a frozen wasteland for so long and training as a swordsman. When the impressed vulpine took into account the amount of definition in his upper body in combination with his attractive facial features, particularly his long lavender hair and topaz-colored eyes, he possibly could have passed as a model. Although for Cornerian standards, his snowy layers of fur along with the black stripes running across his chest stood out too much as foreign, as he had probably been the only white lynx out of the whole Lylatian population since the point of his arrival, but Fox or any one of his teammates still would have given him a solid 9 out of 10.

Sky's thin, spotted tail flicked back and forth once before he stretched his arms and legs out for a moment, leaning back very slowly and then very gently shaking loose before stepping back over to Fox's side. The vulpine nodded once and patted his shoulder before motioning for him to follow along the shoreline. "Lookin' good, partner."

Thus the two began their nonchalant walk across the beach underneath the setting sun. Falco saw this as an opportunity to head back and lounge out underneath the umbrella again.

The pair progressed very slowly, taking in the beautiful beach landscape as they passed it by. Sky found his gaze drawn towards the distant watery horizon while Fox scanned the sands on the opposite side, watching the people and the large condominiums that towered in a long, straight line all the way from left to right just a few hundred yards away. There weren't many walkers present now as many families had withdrawn from the shoreline to go back and rest in their apartments. After a few minutes, Sky broke the silence and tried to begin a conversation with Fox.

"So how are things with… y-you and Krystal?"

Fox turned his head and smiled, though Sky couldn't see any expression from his eyes through his aviators. "Things are going smoothly, I would say. Definitely, it's better now than what it used to be a month ago… I'm taking a bit of time to think it through, but I'll be asking her to marry me soon."

"That's fantastic! I'm happy for you both."

Fox rubbed the back of his head while chuckling, "Thanks, bud. I'm seriously glad we're here to relax, at long last, because honestly I just wish the Lylat could keep itself clean. Y'know, for… say, ten minutes?"

Sky let out a laugh and shrugged, "Perhaps it's only misfortune. Everyone has had their share of hardships, what with all of these wars, invasions, and… everything else. But now, it's…"

The vulpine picked up on what Sky was trying to say, "Since we've gotten through the bad stuff, it's time for us to kick it and take it easy for a few, eh?"

"Yeah, that's it," the lynx responded. "I'm sorry about being… myself. It's just that I'm not used to this sort of relaxation."

"Believe me, as a gang of action-loving mercenaries, we all know where you're coming from. You don't have to apologize for being yourself, and if it's bothering you about not being able to fit in or if it's taking you time to really branch out, just don't worry about it. Every warrior has to have periods of rest in between their battles, but you'll get used to things… At least, we'll help you out as much as we can."

Sky took a moment to consider Fox's reasoning while a rolling wave crashed through and sank him up to his ankles in cold sea water. He said nothing, only nodding and giving a relieved smile as he looked ahead and felt most of the butterflies leave his stomach gradually. The walk continued along the shoreline for a few more minutes in silence as the lynx became lost in his own thoughts. What would the so-called 'girl of his dreams' look like? What would her personality be? How would she change his life? Would he ever be able to meet her standards? His stream of questions was unending… Above all, he still pondered the importance of love and whether or not it could possibly have the potential to change his life's direction.

Another few minutes passed in silence. Sky jumped out of his daydream and refocused, realizing that he had become oblivious to his surroundings yet again. Was he really that used to meditating? Shaking himself out of his dazed state, he decided to ask another question out of curiosity.

"So, Fox, could you tell me about-"

Sky stopped himself in a split second. He looked to his side and slowed down as his gaze only met the empty space in front of him… The lynx was by himself now. When he turned around, he saw only his footprints, and the other two members of the trio were far behind him at their umbrella. Almost immediately feeling the urge to run back and catch up to them, Sky thought for a moment before he shrugged and continued onward at the same pace, once again feeling a slight sense of nervousness returning without his leader there next to him.

_Maybe he went back to get something…_

The lynx shivered and tried to keep his breathing rate normal while attempting to reassure himself that nothing bad would happen. There was a breeze that caressed through his fur which caused his hair to flow behind him a bit. The orange glow of the sun reflected colorfully off of his yellow irises and created a shadow on the other half of his body, adding a defining contrast which highlighted many of his upper body features. The luminescence that had previously shone brilliantly off of his fur had simmered down to a much softer radiance. As a result, Sky's appearance overall became much more attractively eye-catching, even though he took absolutely no notice as he allowed himself to be lost within his subconscious once again.

Thus, the trek lasted as long as the sun took to hide itself halfway below the horizon before something finally happened. He heard a faint, soft whisper arise from somewhere among the umbrellas in the sand opposite to the water. It seemed to repeat itself with growing volume, and it succeeded in snapping Sky out of his musing as he began to wonder where the voice was coming from. Turning his head around slowly, the lynx finally noticed an opening in the umbrella clumps where the warm whisper was serenading him from.

It belonged to a female. Sky's vision was a bit blurry at first until a few seconds later he could make a few more details out of her silhouette. She was lying out on her stomach on a beach towel, sporting a red bikini and leaning her upper body up on her elbows while playfully kicking her feet about behind her. She had a thin coat of glimmering pink fur with a few patches of white here and there, and as Sky scanned steadily up her feet to the curves of her well-shaped thighs, her thin waist, and her lean backside, all the way up to her face, which had features that greatly resembled his only much more feminine and prettier, he determined her as a feline. Between her two furry ears stood a delicate tufted swirl of white hair, and she let out a low purr as she fixed the surprised lynx with a set of sparkling sapphire eyes. As Sky drew closer, she giggled cutely while her small lips drew back a little in a pleasant smile.

"Hey there, sexy~"

Sky blinked once and flushed red underneath his fur, "… eh?"

"What's a ravishing lad like you doing out here all alone?~"

…

Fox sat up groggily from taking a nap with his teammate Falco a few feet away. He smacked his lips a bit before stretching and letting out a tired yawn. The avian mumbled something while he rested on his shoulder with his eyes closed.

"So why'd you ditch him?"

"Just 'cause…" Fox rubbed his eyes and shook his head around a bit before slowly getting on his feet. "I felt like he would have done better without me there."

"Mmkay, whatever… I just hope he ain't pissin' in his swim trunks."

The vulpine stepped out of the umbrella and scanned the area in a panoramic manner until he spotted two faded figures far to the right making their way across the shoreline quite slowly. Fox squinted for a minute or two before one of the figures started to wave in his direction.

"Oy… Is that Sky? If it is, then he's got someone with him," He mumbled. Falco perked up a bit after hearing that.

"Huh, no shit?"

"Oh, yeah… That's definitely Sky. But who's the other one?"

After another moment passed, Fox recognized Sky's glaringly white-furred body and some other pink-furred girl. Falco stood beside him and peered in the same direction. Both of them heard a very faint call that seemed to be saying "Fox! Falco!" The rest was muffled out by the roar of the ocean.

"Check it out, Falco. She's clinging to him."

At that remark, the blue-feathered avian began to gawk slightly while the details of both Sky and his new acquaintance were made clearer as they were within a hundred meters of their umbrella. Lo and behold, there was a female who had her arms wrapped around Sky's left arm while his right continued to wave before they quickened the pace towards the rendezvous. Falco recognized the figure next to him almost immediately and gaped his mouth open even more, standing as still as a statue while his pupils dilated.

"No fucking way…"

Sky and his female friend made their way up the sand and slowed down to walk towards Fox and Falco's spot. The purring feline was still clinging to his arm as they finally stopped in front of the astonished vulpine and avian. At the sight of Falco, however, the female released her grip, flicked her tail and broke out into a surprised smirk as her ear twitched before placing one of her hands on her hips. Fox's stomach almost turned over as he knew what was to come, and Sky could only follow the vulpine's gaze as he switched back and forth from Falco to the seemingly annoyed feline. Right before the confused lynx was about to ask what was going on, the dumbfounded avian stuttered out and made all three of the others tense up quite nervously.

"Katt?!"

…

* * *

_Heh... Heh heh..._

_This'll get interesting. Stay tuned and keep your eyes peeled! Oh, and thank you all._


End file.
